Animal-scaring device and method of employing same

ABSTRACT

A method of scaring birds and animals includes launching a bird-scaring device in a substantially vertical manner and periodically causing the device to circle in the air in substantially opposite directions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an animal-scaring device and to amethod of scaring animals.

2. Discussion of Related Prior Art

Small animals, including rodents and birds, are known to pose a seriousthreat to humans by damaging crops, spreading disease and/or interferingwith the normal operation of various facilities such as airports. Amongthe conventional methods of controlling, i.e., eliminating, bird pests,killing them has been regarded as ineffective. In fact, the UnitedNations Food and Agriculture Organization has repeatedly cautionedagainst killing birds, stating that it would not help preventhealth-hazard outbreaks. Other pest control methods include the use oftraditional scarecrows and optical and sound signal-generating devices,none of which are particularly effective for the protection of largeareas such as parks, airports, golf courses, fruit plantations,cornfields, horticultural plots, fields, and the like, from geese,starlets, gulls, herons and other animal pests. It has been observedthat the effectiveness of these systems rapidly decreases afterinstallation or implementation since birds soon become accustomed to thestationary silhouettes, shapes and other effects of deterrent devices.

In addition to the afore-discussed conventional methods, it is known touse “hawk kites” to protect areas that attract birds. Typically, tolaunch such a kite, the user, holding the kite tethered to the hand orto a stationary pole applies a force sufficient to allow the kite toascend along a relatively smooth trajectory. Maneuverability of thistype of kite upon reaching its maximum altitude is often limited.Turning the kite requires that the user possess a relatively high degreeof manual dexterity in order to effectively manage the movements of thekite. Furthermore, like other would-be deterrent devices, “hawk kites”,while perhaps initially effective, may not provide a long term orpermanent bird-scaring effect.

An object of the invention is to provide a bird-scaring device which,due to its unique aerodynamic characteristics, launches from or nearground level in a rapid and substantially vertical ascent.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a bird-scaringdevice with a strong and simple structure that can be rapidly assembledin the field without the use of tools or specialized devices.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a bird-scaring devicetethered by a control line to a manually manipulated reel.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a methodpermitting effective bird scaring in a given location for anindefinitely long period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, the foregoing and other objects areachieved by a bird-scaring device which is configured as a predatorybird kite and is launched from a supporting surface so as to ascend in asubstantially vertical manner. Upon reaching the desired altitude, thebird-scaring device is capable of continuously circling about arelatively large area in a manner imitating the circular motion of realavian predators such as hawks, eagles, and the like.

It has been found that use of the bird-scaring device herein not onlyproduces immediate results, i.e., scaring flocks of birds from an areato be protected, but also has a long-term effect on birds and animalskeeping them away from the area where the inventive device has beenused.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the bird-scaring device herein willbecome more readily apparent from the detailed description of theinvention accompanied by the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bird-scaring device configured inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a reel configured in accordance with theinvention and constituting with the bird-scaring device of FIG. 1 aninventive kit;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a wing of the bird-scaring device of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the reel of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the wing of the bird-scaring devicetaken along lines V—V in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, a bird-scaring device configured as akite 10 is designed to replicate a predatory bird including, but notlimited to, hawks, eagles, and the like. The kite 10 is configured witha body 12 (FIG. 1), a pair of wings 14, removably attached to the body12, and a tail 16 and is capable of popping up into the air in responseto a force applied by the user though a control line 34 (FIGS. 1, 2)coupling the device 10 to a manually operated reel 32 (FIGS. 2, 4).

The kite 10 is designed to have a three-dimensional, natural lookingappearance of a predatory bird. The kite has been trial tested in avariety of locations frequented by small animals, geese, and the like.While the kite 10 has been shown to produce an immediate scaring effect,it has also demonstrated such an effect long-term. It has been observedthat after a period of use, birds that were initially scared off havenot returned to their favorite sites.

Abrupt, almost vertical take-off of the kite 10 is attributed to severalfactors including attachment of the line 34 to the head portion of thebody 12 which allows the user to apply a pulling force directedupwardly, as well as to certain dimensions of the pair of wings 14. Eachof the detachable wings 14 (FIG. 3) is preferably configured to possessa ratio between maximum width W₁ and maximum length L₁ of about 0.4–0.6.The width W₁ corresponds to the greatest width of the wing 14 betweenits opposite outwardly curved regions 25 and 27 and, preferably, rangeswithin about a 18–22 inch range, whereas the length L is approximately39–42 inches. Preferably, the wings 14 each have an airfoil shapecharacterized by a relatively thick leading edge 31 and a relativelythin trailing edge 29, as shown in FIG. 5. Still another importantcharacteristic of the desired quick ascent capability of the kiteincludes the ratio between a width W₃ of an outer side 33 (FIG. 3) ofthe wing 14 and a width W₂ of the wing's inner side 35 ranging withinabout a 0.7–1 interval. Dimensional variations providing ratios slightlydiffering from the afore-disclosed ranges and intervals will generallynot adversely affect the unique aerodynamic properties of kite 10 or itsperformance.

Besides having the outwardly curved region 27 (FIG. 3), the trailingedge 29 of the wing 14 further has an inwardly curved region 37 formedwith substantially the same radius of curvature as the region 27. Incontrast, the leading edge 31 of the wing 14 is characterized by a pairof inwardly curved regions 39 and 41 which flank the outwardly curvedregion 25 having the radius of curvature substantially smaller that theradii of the flanking regions 39 and 41. As shown in FIG. 3, theflanking regions 39 and 41 of the leading edge 31 are slightly curved,but the geometry of the wing 14 can be modified so that these regionsmay be nearly straight.

A variety of materials may be used for manufacturing the wing 14 andinclude, but are not limited to, nylon, paper, and the like. A frame 43(FIG. 3) attached to the covering of the wing 14 may be made from avariety of different polymeric materials, wood and even aluminum. Theframe 43 may be assembled from separate components including leadingsections 22 and 45 and reinforcing section 47 and 49. At least some ofthese sections are removably secured to one another by displaceableclips 28. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, displacing of the clip 28releases two end portions 26 of the sections 22 and 45 thereby allowingthe user to fold the wing 14 by bringing the inner and outer sides 35and 33 towards one another. Alternatively, the frame 43 may be molded asa one-piece body.

To assemble the kite 10, an inner end 24 (FIGS. 1 and 3) of the leadingsection 22 of the frame 43 and a trailing end 30 of an inner section 55(FIG. 3) of this frame are attached to the body 12. The latter has thetail 16 and the head attached to one another by a hollow frameconfigured with a pair of spaced elongated sections 18 (FIG. 1) bridgedby leading and trailing crossbars 53 and 20. Attachment of the wings 14to the body 12 is accomplished by inserting the inner end 24 (FIG. 1) ofthe sections 22 of the wings' frame into an opening formed on theopposite ends of the leading crossbar 53 or vice versa, and further,traversing holes formed in the trailing crossbar 20 by trailing ends 30.Formed on one of the opposite sides of the head is a fastening element52 (FIG. 1) configured to retain a balloon line (not shown) foroperating the kite 10 with a gas filled balloon in windless weather.

The reel 32 (FIGS. 2, 4), configured to launch and control the movementsof the kite 10, includes a central hub 40 traversed by a shaft 54 andreceiving a plurality of angularly spaced pins 42 which have their freeends 44 supporting a line guiding portion of the reel 32. The free end44 of each pin 42 is configured with a C-shaped cross-sectiondimensioned to support spaced sides 48 which prevent the line 34 (FIG.2) from slipping off the free ends 44. A handle 36 is rotatably fixed tothe shaft 54 and has an end provided with a line guide 38.

Pulling the line 34 to apply a force to the kite 10 placed on astationary support, such as ground, or the like, accomplishes launchingthe kite 10 so that, during its rise, the kite 10 may deviate from avertical within about a ±15° range. It has been observed that as thekite 10 deploys, geese quickly vacate the site. Once the kite 10 reachesthe desired altitude, it begins to circle in one direction. Rotating thehandle 36 (FIGS. 2, 4) of the reel 32 in the counterclockwise directionat an angle not exceeding 360° reverses the direction of the kite'scircling.

The bird-scaring device, or kite 10, operated in accordance with theinvention, will provide a relatively long-lasting bird-scaring effectwith consequent economic benefits for site owners who, otherwise, mayneed to use such expensive pest scaring methods as the use of speciallytrained dogs or various types of known and conventional deterrentdevices.

While the invention has been disclosed with respect to preferredembodiments, it is not limited to these embodiments, but encompasses anyand all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

1. An animal-scaring device configured to have a shape of a predatorybird comprising a body and a pair of wings detachably coupled to thebody, each of the wings being configured so that a ratio between amaximum width of the wing and a length thereof (W./L) ranges betweenabout 0.4–0.6, the device being coupled to a manually operable reel by acentral line, the reel having a central hub, a plurality of angularlyspaced pins each provided with a respective free end, and a pair ofspaced apart, endless sides attached to the free end of the plurality ofpins, wherein the reel is rotatable in opposite directions to modify alength of the central line.
 2. An animal-scaring device configured tohave a shape of a predatory bird comprising a body and a pair of wings,the body including a head portion, a tail portion and a hollow framecoupled to the head and tail portions, each of the wings beingconfigured so that a ratio between a maximum width of the wing and alength thereof (W./L) ranges between about 0.4–0.6, the device beingcoupled to a manually operable reel by a central line, the reel having acentral hub, a plurality of angularly spaced pins each provided with arespective free end, and a pair of spaced apart, endless sides attachedto the free end of the plurality of pins, wherein the reel is rotatablein opposite directions to modify a length of the central line.
 3. Ananimal-scaring device configured to have a shape of a predatory birdcomprising a body and a pair of wings, detachably coupled to the body,the body including a head portion, a tail portion and a hollow framecoupled to the head and tail portions each of the wings being configuredso that a ratio between a maximum width of the wing and a length thereof(W./L) ranges between about 0.4–0.6, the device being coupled to amanually operable reel by a central line, the reel having a central hub,a plurality of angularly spaced pins each provided with a respectivefree end, and a pair of spaced apart, endless sides attached to the freeend of the plurality of pins, wherein the reel is rotatable in oppositedirections to modify a length of the central line.
 4. The animal-scaringdevice of claim 3, wherein, the wings each have an inner side having awidth W₂ and an opposite outer side having a width W₃, wherein a ratiobetween the widths of the inner and outer sides ranges within about a0.7–1 interval.
 5. The animal-scaring device of claim 4, wherein eachwing has a leading and trailing edge, the trailing edge having a firstcurved region located next to the body and a second curved regionlocated next to the unattached end of the wing, the first and secondcurved regions having substantially a uniform radius of curvature. 6.The animal-scaring device of claim 5, wherein the leading edge of thewing has a curved central region flanked by two side regions.
 7. Theanimal-scaring device of claim 6, wherein the side regions each has aradius of curvature substantially greater than the radius of curvatureof the central regions.
 8. The animal-scaring device of claim 3, whereineach wing has a frame including a plurality of sections formed as aone-piece body or as a plurality of detachable components.
 9. Theanimal-scaring device of claim 3, wherein the free end of the pluralityof pins has a C-shaped cross section bridging the pair of endless sides,wherein the line is supported by a central portion of the free end ofthe pins.
 10. The animal-scaring device of claim 9, further comprising ahandle, the handle and the hub being rotatable relative to one another.